Epicurus (341-270 BC)

Epicurus
was the founder of one of the major philosophies of
ancient Greece - Epicureanism.

His philosophy advanced the notion that happiness, obtained by the
avoidance of physical and emotional pain and the seeking of pleasure
(in moderation) was the highest good.

For Epicurus virtues themselves were all purely instrumental
goods, valuable solely for the
sake of the happiness that they can bring to a person, not for their
own sake.

Epicurus maintained that all of the virtues are ultimately
forms of prudence, of calculating what is in one's own best interest.
In this, his philosophy goes against the majority of Greek ethical
theorists, such as the Stoics who identify happiness with virtue, and Aristotle
who identifies happiness with a life of virtuous activity.

Epicurus also taught that the the world consists basically of
atoms, uncuttable bits of matter, flying through empty space, and he
tried to explain all natural phenomena in atomic terms. He rejected the
existence of Platonic
forms and an immaterial soul saying that the gods have no influence on
our lives. He felt that we could gain knowledge of the world by relying
upon the senses.

Epicurus is one of the first philosophers to put forward a
theory of mind which identifies the mind with the brain, and mental
processes with neural processes. His physiology, however, is quite
different in that the mind is identified as an organ that resides in
the chest. The common Greek view was that the chest, not the head, is
the seat of the emotions.

Although Epicurus' philosophy combined a physics based on
atomistic materialism with hedonistic ethics, he insisted that courage,
moderation, and the other virtues are needed in order to attain
happiness.

He also thought that natural science and philosophy itself are
instrumental goods. Natural science in order to give mechanistic
explanations of natural phenomena and thus dispel the fear of the gods,
and philosophy to help show us the natural limits of our desires and to
dispel the fear of death.

One significant consequence of Epicurus' philosophy of mind is
that death is annihilation. According to him, upon death, the container
of the body shatters, and the atoms disperse in the air. The atoms are
eternal, but the mind made up of these atoms is not, just as other
compound bodies cease to exist when the atoms that make them up
disperse.

Therefore, since death is a total annihilation we need only
live a simple life and seek ways in which we can seek pleasure (in
moderation) and avoid physical pain.